FORMER JAIL OFFICER SUPPLIED INMATE'S DRUGS

A Mountjoy prison guard, who has since resigned, supplied drugs and drink
to inmates because he believed some of them had obtained information about
where he lived, a court heard yesterday.

Mark Lynch (31) feared for his wife and child and started bringing in small
amounts of cannabis and vodka in soft drink bottles. Yesterday he pleaded
guilty to having enough cannabis resin to make 88 cigarettes which he
admitted were for supply to prisoners in Mountjoy.

Judge Mary Collins agreed to a defence application that rather than impose
a custodial sentence he should pay pounds 5,000 to the Anna Livia drugs
treatment project.

Dublin District Court heard Lynch's car was stopped on the Jamestown Road,
in Finglas, on December 10th last and two 1.5litre soft drink bottles were
found. Lynch immediately admitted there was a mixture of vodka and 7-Up in
the bottles which he was taking into Mountjoy prison.

Det Sgt Dominic Hayes said Lynch was arrested and when his car was
subsequently searched, gardai found the cannabis, which was worth about
pounds 30, 11 valium based tablets and pounds 50 in cash on the dashboard.

In an interview later, he admitted taking alcohol into the prison on 10
previous occasions since the beginning of September 1998 and bringing in
small amounts of cannabis on three previous occasions.

The court heard he had been a prison officer for 10 years and had worked
his way up to the rank of assistant industrial supervisor.

Mr Patrick Gageby, for Lynch, said he had co-operated fully with gardai. Mr
Gageby said: "Last summer some knowledge was passed to prisoners which led
him to believe they knew a lot about his personal life.

"This may have come to the prisoners' attention that they might have some
hold over him and about where he lived and his family affairs." He was then
asked to "do a favour" and bring some vodka in. "Once he did it he could
not say No again," Mr Gageby said.

If he had approached the authorities about his problem they would have
moved him and disciplined the prisoners involved. He was throwing himself
"at the mercy of the court" and was prepared to make a contribution to a
charity.

Judge Collins said Lynch was in a better position to know what he was doing
was wrong than many of the people he was dealing with because he did not
come from a disadvantaged background.

She noted a reference from the governor of Mountjoy complimenting him and
saying he took pride in the prison and had worked hard there. He had no
previous convictions and had co-operated with gardai.

The most appropriate way therefore to deal with it was for him to make a
contribution to the Anna Livia project.

Judge Collins remanded him on continuing bail to today to allow him come up
with the pounds 5,000.